Why is she "brave" for not dying of cancer? Totally awesome that she didn't die, but that doesn't mean she's brave. She could be a stark raving coont for all we know. Or maybe a super nice lady, but a total and complete coward who has an obsession with taking selfies.

I dunno, I just always thought the word "brave" should be reserved for people who do voluntarily put themselves in harm's way for others. Not so sure time lapse photography qualifies.

/having a bad day today clearly

I actually used to feel this way too. Why were people proud of women and praising them for being strong and whatnot when all they really did was just not die. Then I met a bunch. Let me start with your own definition:

the word "brave" should be reserved for people who do voluntarily put themselves in harm's way for others.

The voluntarily in harms way bit is electing to go through chemo/radiation/surgery. You can also choose not to. The "for others" bit is for their family, whether it be a spouse, kids, their siblings or their parents.

Now a year ago I would have said "they aren't exactly volunteering to do it and what a shock, they are choosing to do something that will actually HELP them medically." It's not really that easy. You don't go through chemo in a vacuum, you go through chemo while you're still working (gotta pay for it somehow), while you're still a wife or a mother or taking classes. It's not just that chemo or radiation makes you tired, it's also a giant pain in the ass. Radiation is 5 days a week for weeks. So you're juggling a job and kids which was plenty as it is and now a doctor is telling you that you have to commute your ass there every day M-F for about a 30-45 minute appointment for weeks. If all you did was get radiation and go home to nap all day long, you'd still be exhausted, yet you have to get to work and then home to get the kids.

So it has been 3 weeks of waking up at the crack ass of dawn to go get your radiation treatment, 5 days a week, while working full time at Costco and then going home to take care of the kids. You're exhausted, it's Friday and you've got a test on Monday because you want to be a nurse, not a Costco clerk for the rest of your life. So now you've got a choice, do you go to chemo Monday and show up to the exam exhausted possibly ruining your future, or do you skip chemo and slightly increase your chances of the cancer recurring and killing you?

The brave part isn't surviving. The brave part is showing up on Monday.

Why is she "brave" for not dying of cancer? Totally awesome that she didn't die, but that doesn't mean she's brave. She could be a stark raving coont for all we know. Or maybe a super nice lady, but a total and complete coward who has an obsession with taking selfies.

I dunno, I just always thought the word "brave" should be reserved for people who do voluntarily put themselves in harm's way for others. Not so sure time lapse photography qualifies.